In the observance of the Christmas holiday, evergreen trees, both real and artificial, are often displayed in an upright position using stands and decorated using a variety of lights, ornaments, garland, tinsel, etc. These stands are available in a wide variety of sizes, configurations, and shapes. For example, stands may vary in size based on the height of the tree they are intended to be used with, the base of those stands intended for use with taller trees generally being wider.
Stands may also vary in configuration. For example, stands are commonly available with three, four, or perhaps even five evenly spaced legs, all of which extend radially and somewhat downwardly from the trunk of a tree when in use. Thus, stands with three legs will typically have legs spaced at 120 degree intervals, while stands with four legs will have legs spaced at 90 degree intervals. It follows that stands with five legs will have legs spaced at 72 degree intervals.
Stands may also vary in shape, numerous circular stands having a variety of shapes. For example, a circular stand may have a generally conical shape with an opening or recessed portion at the apex for receiving the trunk of a tree. A circular stand may also be either inwardly or outwardly tapered also having an opening or recess at the apex for receiving the trunk of a tree. Thus, an inwardly tapered circular stand may appear to have an concave taper, while outwardly tapered circular stand may convex taper, appearing somewhat dome shaped. Irrespective of the shape of the upper portion of a particular circular stand, circular stands generally have a circular base upon which they rest.
All of these stands, by virtue of either varying base size, additional legs or circular shape, generally provide some degree of increased stability based on the foregoing. Despite providing varying degrees of stability, none of these stands are particularly adapted for decorating a tree.
For instance, Christmas trees are often placed in the corner of a room or in front of window in a home, allowing persons in the home and/or passers-by to enjoy the tree while generally keeping the tree out of the traffic pattern of one's living space. Such placements, while convenient and advantageous for the enjoyment of such a tree, typically limit accessibility to at least a portion of the tree, making decorating the tree difficult. Thus, one approach to decorating a tree is to decorate the tree while the tree is standing out in the room, and then move the tree into a corner or up to a window.
To anyone who has decorated a tree and then moved it, this approach is obviously fraught with disadvantages. First, in order to decorate a tree with lights, ornaments, garland, tinsel, etc., one needs to travel the periphery and/or circumference of the tree placing decoration along the way. Second, most stands, such as those described herein above, are not particularly adapted for moving a tree, once the tree is placed in the stand. Also, many homes have carpeting or rugs that further complicate moving or sliding such stands, the legs or base catching on the yarn in the carpeting or rugs, the tree falling over in the worst instance, or, perhaps at a minimum, knocking a decoration off the tree breaking it. Further, once the tree is positioned in a corner or in front of a window, it is difficult to move the tree to clean, such as to vacuum or sweep up needles from that fall from real trees.
Several approaches have attempted to addressed these drawbacks all of which fall short in one manner or another.
One approach uses a manual turntable with an adjustable tree trunk mount integrally included in it. Such an approach is clearly not usable with the stands described herein above, nor is the turntable particularly configured for movement of the tree once mounted in the turntable. However, such an approach does apparently allow for the tree mounted in the turntable to be rotated.
Another approach uses a wheeled tree carrier with a mount for adjustably grasping the trunk of a tree. The generally flat surface of the mount includes grooves that provide adjustability for mounting fingers, held in place by wing nuts, and that may be used to hold the tree in an upright position. Such an approach is also not useable with the stands described herein above. However, such an approach does allow for movement and rotation of the tree once mounted in the carrier.
Yet another approach uses a motorized revolving plate with a three legged stand that is held in place by clips riveted to the plate. Such an approach is also not useable with the stands described herein above, nor does the approach allow for movement of the tree once mounted in the stand. However, the approach does allow for rotation of the tree.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a rotating moveable Christmas tree platform capable of use with the a variety of stands.
These objective and other objectives will become more readily apparent from the summary of invention and detailed description of embodiments of the invention set forth herein below.